In March 2004, the Memphis District Office of the EEOC (with participation from the Nashville Area Office) brought this suit against Lowe's Home Centers, Inc., d/b/a Vonore Reload Distribution Center #970, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The complaint alleged that the defendant discriminated against the two charging parties and other African American applicants by failing to hire them because of their race in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. After some scheduling orders and discovery, the defendant filed a motion for summary judgment in July 2005. However, this motion was never resolved because it appears the parties reached a tentative settlement in October 2005. A few months later, the parties entered into a final settlement agreement in early December.

The settlement agreement had a duration of one year or until each term had been fulfilled, whichever was longer. The agreement contained non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses and required the defendant to provide Title VII training for its supervisory and management employees at its Vonore facility as well as any other employees involved in hiring, promotion, and firing at its Vonore facility. In addition, the defendant agreed to: continue to enforce its diversity policy, maintain its posting of a Title VII poster, post a copy of its policy and procedure for reporting and preventing discrimination, and pay $60,000.

Michele Marxkors - 07/25/2007


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